🚗 Car rental in Italy: everything a tourist needs to know

Italy is one of the most beautiful places in the world with stunning landscapes, a favorable climate and many cities with centuries of history. Traveling around such a country by car is a pleasure. But is it easy to rent a car? How to do this correctly? And what documents will you need? The answers are below.

Preparatory stage  

You should take care of renting a car in advance, as they are quickly sold out during the tourist seasons. July and August: the hottest months with a large influx of tourists.

You will also have to obtain an international driver's license in advance. To do this, contact the traffic police MREO of your city, pay two basic amounts (as of April 2023, this is 74 rubles), and in five days everything will be ready. Keep in mind that not all rental companies are willing to provide a car without this document.

We recommend using the proven service getrentacar.com or the lesser known ones: discovercars.com or economybookings.com.

There are many rental companies represented on these services. The most famous of them, which have a high rating in Italy, are Sixt, Europcar, Alamo, Enterprise and Thrifty. The best option would be to rent a car from them. In addition, do not be lazy to compare prices on different services, they may vary. The difference can be from 15€ to 30€ per day of rental.

When booking a car, please enter your email address correctly. You will receive a voucher for it, which is better to print out and take with you. You will need it when registering a rental on site. In case of flight delay, it is better to call the lessor and warn about it. You will find the phone number in the same voucher.

Rental at the airport

Keep in mind that if you rent a car at the airport you will have to pay significantly more. If you arrive late in the evening or at night, we recommend postponing choosing a car until the morning. It is better to solve such issues in the light of day and with a fresh head.

Expect that when booking a car, a certain amount of money on your bank card will be blocked. This is a deposit in case of damage, payment of fines and return of the car with less fuel than it was originally. The deposit amount depends on the car and will range from 250 € to 1500 €.

Renting a car with full insurance will cost 2-3 times more. If you are a master driver, then take standard insurance. With companies willing to provide a car without insurance, it is better to be wary. By luring customers with low prices, they can charge crazy amounts for non-existent damage or damage that was caused before you. One such company is Goldcar.

However, even with full insurance, carefully inspect the car when you receive it, and record all existing defects and scratches in the inspection report. It is better to take photos of the car from all sides or shoot a video. Check the fuel level, try opening and closing the car with the key.

It's better to spend a few extra minutes at the beginning than to pay for nothing at the end. By the way, when you receive a car, check where you can drop it off or leave it, especially if you are planning to fly from another city. Also keep in mind that many companies require you to return the car with the same level of fuel as it was originally.

Features of driving in Italy

The driver must be between 18 and 75 years old and have at least 1 year of driving experience. But the optimal age is from 25 years. First, some companies increase prices for younger customers. And secondly, cars of more expensive brands are available for rent only from 25 years of age.

When driving, be sure to follow the traffic rules. The permissible speed in a populated area is 50 km/h, outside the city – 90 km/h, and on a highway – 130 km/h. The fine for minor speeding is small: from 20 € to 75 €, but if you exceed the speed over 40 km/h, you will have to fork out 190-760 €.

If you decide to park, pay attention to the colors of the marking lines in the parking zones. Blue are paid zones, white are free, and yellow are for disabled people or delivery vehicles.

In Italy, outside built-up areas, be sure to turn on low beam headlights, always wear a seat belt and do not talk on a mobile phone while driving. The traffic police are extremely sensitive to these things.

Under no circumstances should you drive drunk. The permissible blood alcohol limit is 0.5 ppm. For 0.8 ppm you will receive a fine of 2000 €. Well, if you commit an accident while intoxicated, the insurance will not be valid, and you will have to compensate for the damage yourself.

And don't forget about toll roads. There are plenty of them in Italy. When planning your route, pay attention to this.